Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.
Squeeze some extra energy out of the same effort with these responsive kicks. Powerful Electric Motorcycle
Cycling shoes come in many styles, with different features and for different types of riding. There are dedicated models for everyone—commuters to roadies, mountain bikers to BMXers, indoor spinners, even those among us who dare wear sandals that clip in. For the sake of keeping this collection of our favorite cycling shoes focused, however, we’ve included only traditional road and mountain bike shoes for both men and women.
Road-shoe soles are typically stiff (for maximizing pedaling efficiency) and smooth (little to no sole tread for lighter weight). Most use a triangular, three-bolt cleat-mounting pattern that’s compatible with most common road pedal systems—Look and Shimano produce the two most prominent cleat styles, and while they may look similar at a glance, they’ll only fit into pedals that accept their respective brands. Low- to midrange road shoes can occasionally have a two-bolt pattern, in addition to a three-bolt pattern, to accommodate mountain bike-style cleats. This allows the rider to use dual-sided mountain bike pedals, which are easier to step into, as well as pedals that have a clipless mechanism on one side and a platform on the other (for shorter rides in regular shoes).
Road shoe uppers are light and made from soft and supple leather or synthetic materials that provide a comfortable and snug fit. Some have nylon mesh to keep your feet cool, and knit uppers are starting to become popular for their comfortable fit and ventilation as well. Most also have a stiff, reinforced heel cup that will stop your foot from slipping out while pedaling.
Join Bicycling All Access for more great gear reviews!
Mountain bike shoes come in two styles: clipless and flat.
Compared to road shoes, clipless mountain shoes have larger, grippier lugs, meaning they’re easier to wear while walking in dirt and mud. They’re also built to accept two-bolt cleats exclusively, given how cumbersome three-bolt road cleats tend to be. While a top-end mountain shoe can have a carbon sole and be every bit as stiff as a road-racing shoe, many clipless models have a bit of flex in the toe, which makes walking with your bike easier on a dubious trail you’re not quite ready to send. Mountain shoes also tend to use heavier-duty upper materials to withstand more rugged conditions—dirt, mud, rocks, roots—and often have armoring on the toes and heels to add durability and reduce the pain of rock strikes.
Flat shoes don’t have clipless cleat mounts and, like skate shoes, have sticky rubber soles. You ride them with platform pedals, and the absence of cleats means you can get on and off easier—good for stop-and-go commuting or bailing on downhill runs. And since you’re not locked in, the feeling is free and more surf-like. You’ll pedal differently with flat pedals because you can’t pull up on them, but some brands like Five Ten and Vibram make extra-grippy soles that stick to pedals better.
A very stiff sole will make power transfer more efficient, but the lack of give can cause hot spots and discomfort if the stiffness compromises a proper fit. Brands typically use nylon in lower-cost shoes, which can feel less efficient but is more flexible and thus more comfortable, especially on bumpier terrain. Midrange shoes include some carbon-composite-enhanced materials. And the stiffest, highest-end soles will be entirely carbon, which is so stiff that not as much of it is needed, resulting in a lighter shoe.
Laces: After being spotted in the professional road-racing peloton, the laces trend has grown on the highest-end road shoes. The retro look has its fans, plus laces are light. They’re also found on entry-level shoes and almost all flat-pedal shoes. Laces provide a simple, effective, and easy-to-repair/replace closure. Another benefit to a laced shoe is that it tends to be very accommodating to unique foot shapes. The only downside: Laces are difficult to fine-tune mid-ride.
Hook and Loop: This Velcro-type closure system is found on shoes at all prices. It’s light, easy to adjust, easy to fine-tune, and can be placed at multiple points to provide tailored snugness. The downside: The hook-and-loop system can easily get caked with mud and other debris and lose its grip over time. It’ll also do a number on your spandex kit, ripping the fabric apart with even a light touch.
Dial: A system with a hub that, when you rotate it, tightens a cable, which acts as the lacing of the shoe, snugging the upper down over your foot. Boa is the king of dial closures, and you’ll find this system on mid- to high-end shoes from many companies. There are other dial-closure systems, though, such as Atop and Northwave’s SLW2 system. Dials usually offer the most closing force and are micro-adjustable, weather- and mud-resistant, secure when locked in place, and easy to adjust on the fly. They can get jammed or damaged, however, rendering them unusable (though they’re often easy to repair or replace).
Bicycling has been testing gear since the 60’s—nobody’s been in the game longer than us. We’re constantly evaluating everything from bikes to helmets to shoes in-house; even when we don’t acquire gear strictly for work, we’re putting it through the wringer in our free time on our home roads and trails. After all, we’re cyclists, too, and we depend on quality gear just as much as anyone else. There is no greater incentive for us to recommend a product like a pair of shoes than the knowledge that it feels great on our feet.
Our team of test editors has used and abused every pair of shoes on this list. We’ve worn these shoes for racing, training, commuting, and, of course, social riding. We’ve clambered over rocky hike-a-bike sections, walked through muddy fields to connect roads that didn’t really connect, ridden through rain storms, and stored our shoes soaking wet plenty of times.
We evaluated these picks based on their responsiveness, comfort, fit, and price, as well as the settings and disciplines in which each shoe shines the brightest. There are plenty more quality shoes than these available, and we recommend trying several on your real-life feet before committing to a pair, but these are the ones that wowed our team the most.
Specialized has built a strong reputation for making just about everything well—ironic, considering its name. And accessories like shoes and helmets are among the brand’s most successful creations. The Torch line is Specialized’s most popular range of road shoes, and for good reason: Each model is comfortable, well ventilated, and incredibly stiff. Plus, the line is available at price points spanning just over $100 to more than four times that amount.
The 3.0 is the middle child: We’ve found that it maintains many of the comfort and stiffness gains from the top-shelf S-Works model, and it only needs some minor weight sacrifices to keep the price down. It has two Boa dials for increased adjustability across the instep, a full carbon plate in the sole, and a seamless upper that’s sure to prevent any chafing or hot spots.
If you’re looking for a value pick, the Torch 1.0 is also excellent, and it’s only $120. The main compromises worth noting with this step down are the loss of one Boa dial and a slightly flimsier sole. It’s a difference in comfort and energy return we certainly noticed, but if dropping $250 on a pair of shoes wasn’t in your plans, the 1.0 is still quite the workhorse and a pair we’d happily wear again.
This is a high-performance shoe that makes no deliberate performance sacrifices for the sake of increased comfort, yet we’ve found that it feels impressively easy to wear and light on our feet. Trevor Raab, our photographer, considers it “the pinnacle of a racing shoe,” and for good reason: You’re not going to lose a drop of power when you’re thrashing this thing around, but you also won’t be battling against an unbearably ill-fitting shoe that takes you out of the zone on race day.
Our feet felt extremely secure ensconced in these kicks, and the direct connection to the pedals was palpable. Adding to the secure feeling is a rubber strip inside the heel cup, which should stop any errant foot movement during an all-out surge. This is a superb shoe for high-powered racing, and track riders who use toe straps will appreciate that the dials sit high enough on the shoe that they’re largely out of the way.
Shimano’s RC300 is one of the brand’s few lower-cost shoes offered in multiple widths, as it has been for years. This wide version fits E-width feet (the standard model is a D-width), giving wider feet more room and less pinch. We’ve had this shoe on our list for a while—since 2020—because it’s a surprisingly light shoe at 476 grams a pair (size 41, on our scale), or just a bit lighter than Shimano’s $430 RC903 (also offered in wide if you’re looking for something more premium). The three-bolt-cleat compatible sole felt stiff enough for most rides and intensities—Shimano rates it a six out of 12 on its scale—and the unique closure with one centrally located Boa dial wrapped our feet snugly without feeling like it was pinching anything.
Although Giro jumped on the twin-Boa bandwagon, it’s taken a unique approach to how the dials function. Loops of webbing, as opposed to plastic guides, direct the cables. The company claims these “soft guides” reduce hot spots by stretching the upper out more evenly. The Imperial’s upper is lightweight mesh reinforced with the Teijin TPU found in Giro’s other shoes, and the materials are welded together, making the upper almost seamless.
This shoe is built on the same last as Giro’s other road models for a fit that leans toward the snug and low-volume end of the spectrum. However, we’ve found that the upper is exceptionally supple and forgiving, so riders might find the Imperial more accommodating than they’d typically expect from the brand. The Imperial carves out space as one of the lightest dual-Boa shoes you can buy. It offers enough support and stability for all situations, and it’s extremely breathable, too.
Standard shoelaces may initially seem out of place in the world of clipless shoes, but they actually still have quite the following, even among serious racers. Alongside the classy aesthetic some riders prize with lace-ups, proponents of the design appreciate its increased adjustability—you can cinch every upper eyelet individually, meaning you have more opportunity to form your shoe to your feet instead of cranking down one or two dials or straps for your entire foot. Especially with stiff, narrow racing shoes, this will save you from a world of hurt in the form of hot spots.
Giro has sat atop the lace-up throne for years, and the Empire SLX is the brand’s flagship lightweight model. It has an ultra-thin, see-through upper that will give you maximum breathability on a sweltering hot day, and a full-carbon sole delivers some impressively responsive pedaling, even when your laces settle in and loosen up a little.
Need lace-ups that are more off-road friendly? You can also try the Empire VR90, which has a similarly stiff carbon sole but has a two-bolt cleat and lugs for walking in the mud.
While it’s not as easy to narrow down an all-encompassing best shoe for off-road riding, given how many more disciplines there are, the Recon line ticks the most boxes of any do-it-all two-bolt clipless option. The 2.0 is the most affordable model currently in the range, and while it only rocks one Boa dial (opposed to the two on the 3.0 and S-Works models), it maintains its siblings’ comfortable fit and breathable upper that can keep you churning out trail miles all day. Better yet, the outsole has plenty of chunky, grippy lugs that we’ve found keep our footing superbly when walking our bikes through a too-gnarly section of trail or trudging through a cyclocross course.
Though the Five Ten Freerider Pro has been our pick for the best flat-pedal shoe for ages mostly thanks to its lax fit and grippy sole, the Ride Concepts Hellion Elite is now our go-to flat shoe for trail riding. It felt a bit stiffer, a little more sticky, and a smidge more protective than the Five Ten, and it grips pins very well with just enough forgiveness that you can reposition your foot when needed.
The Hellion Elite is surprisingly light and not overbuilt either: It offers good pedal feel, and it’s comfortable and sneaker-like, not boot-like. That relaxed construction can help you more easily grip the pedals on a technical downhill section or scoop them from underneath for more rear-wheel lift in a bunnyhop.
When winter rolls around, it can be tricky to keep your feet warm on rides, especially if your normal cycling shoes are ventilated in the sole or upper. You can always invest in some shoe covers, but if you want an option that’s a little more robust (and that doesn’t feel as gross to peel off after a muddy ride), check out this Gore-Tex-lined MTB shoe from Shimano. It’s effectively waterproof, holds heat like no other, and isn’t unbearably heavy or constrictive. Plenty of winter shoes we’ve worn have clunky ankle covers that can limit your mobility, but not the EX900—it has just enough of an opening that it kept our ankles relatively warm, but no more than that.
A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
The Best Spin Shoes to Buy Right Now
8 Stylish Cycling Shoes You Can Wear Off the Bike
The Best Mountain Bike Shoes Right Now
Specialized’s Rime Flat Hikes and Pedals Great
Tested: Specialized S-Works Ares Road Shoe
Crank Brothers Joins the Shoe Market
Road and Mountain Bike Shoes That Cost About $100
Giro’s New Imperial: Super Light, Super Supportive
Best Women’s Cycling Shoes for Road and Mountain
Tested: Five Ten Kestrel Pro Boa MTB Shoes
These are the Best Flat Shoes to Free Your Feet
The Lake MX237 Endurance Shoe Is a One-Shoe Quiver
A Part of Hearst Digital Media
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
Electric Suspension Bike ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.